On the Issues: Voter ID laws reduce election turnout

Nothing is more fundamental to American democracy than the right to vote. Some policymakers argue that we must protect the integrity of the electoral process by guarding against voter fraud. In order to do this, they have proposed and passed legislation requiring would-be voters to bring some form of state-recognized identification in order to cast their ballots on Election Day.

Journal Star

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Posted Sep. 1, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Sep 1, 2012 at 12:23 AM

Posted Sep. 1, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Sep 1, 2012 at 12:23 AM

Nothing is more fundamental to American democracy than the right to vote. Some policymakers argue that we must protect the integrity of the electoral process by guarding against voter fraud. In order to do this, they have proposed and passed legislation requiring would-be voters to bring some form of state-recognized identification in order to cast their ballots on Election Day.

The first Voter ID laws were passed in 2003. Currently, there are 30 states that require some form of voter identification. One such law, passed in South Carolina, is currently being tested in federal court after the U.S. Department of Justice blocked the law from taking effect, arguing it unfairly discriminates against black voters. Legislation to create such a law has been introduced in Illinois but has not advanced past the committee level.

Opponents of Voter ID laws argue that such laws unnecessarily restrict the pool of eligible voters, make it harder for citizens to cast their ballots and disproportionately disenfranchise African Americans, Latinos, the poor, students, the elderly and the disabled. Critics argue that these are really present-day voter suppression laws under the pretext of preventing voter fraud and safeguarding election integrity.

How effective are Voter ID laws at preventing voter fraud? Voter fraud is any election-related activity involving conduct that corrupts the process of "obtaining and marking of ballots, the counting and certification of election results, or the registration of voters," according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Between 2002 and 2005, only 26 substantiated cases of voter fraud were prosecuted by the Justice Department.

What are the consequences of Voter ID laws for access to voting? Research suggests that 11 percent of U.S. citizens - more than 21 million Americans - do not have government-issued photo identifications. But among particular groups, the percentage lacking acceptable documentation is even higher. For example, among African Americans, 25 percent of voting-age citizens lack government-issued documents. This compares with 8 percent of voting-age whites. More generally, such Voter ID laws disproportionately screen out voters who are low-income and minority and who are less likely to have the necessary identification documents. So it is not surprising that Voter ID laws are associated with lower voter turnout in those states that have recently enacted them. It is estimated that they reduce overall voter turnout by more than 2 percent in those states.

Attitudes about Voter ID laws also are highly partisan. According to a Fox News poll, nearly half of Democrats believe "the supporters of voter identification laws are really trying to steal elections by decreasing legal votes from minorities." In contrast, seven in 10 Republicans believe that "opponents of voter identification laws are really trying to steal elections by increasing illegal votes by non-citizens and other ineligible voters." Moreover, every state that has passed stricter Voter ID laws has done so under Republican-controlled legislatures.

Currently, Illinois is not among the 30 states that have passed a Voter ID law. But as Voter ID legislation continues to spread across the nation, it is likely that the issue will soon be before Illinois legislators. Unlike most legislation, however, both proponents and opponents will likely claim that they want to protect citizens and their right to vote. Both sides will just want to let the (right) people vote.

Page 2 of 2 - Cedrick Herring is a professor of sociology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He specializes in labor and racial discrimination issues. A short video interview of the author can be found at https://vimeo.com/48318123.